The Heat is On! Temperatures in the 80s in the NYC Metro Area!

A warm flow of air has brought unseasonably warm temperatures soaring into the 80s this weekend here in the New York City Tri-State area as well as the Mid-Atlantic States and the Northeast. Temperatures are much cooler near the coast with readings in the 60s. The warm weather will last through Tuesday!

The 2 PM readings are as follows:

Central Park: Sunny 83 36% S8    
La Guardia AP: P. Sunny 78 41% S12   
Kennedy AP: M . Sunny 65 67% S12   
Newark AP: M. Sunny 87 27% SW18  

George Wright, AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.

Easter Was Colder Than Christmas Day This Season in NYC Metro Area

For the first time in 26 years, Easter was colder than Christmas Day this season. The high temperature on Easter (April 12, 2009) was 49 degrees in Central Park and it was 57 degrees on Christmas Day (December 25, 2008).

George Wright, AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.

Measurable April Snowfall in Central Park since 1870

Below are the years and the amounts with measuable snowfall in April in Central Park since 1870:
1870 2.5 in.
1871 2.0 in.
1875 13.5 in.
1882 0.5 in.
1883 0.5 in.
1886 1.0 in.
1887 5.0 in.
1890 0.3 in.
1892 1.0 in.
1893 0.5 in.
1894 1.0 in.
1896 3.0 in.
1898 2.5 in.
1907 5.8 in.
1911 0.5 in.
1915 10.2 in.
1916 3.3 in.
1917 6.5 in.
1918 2.6 in.
1921 0.1 in.
1924 8.5 in.
1927 0.1 in.
1938 6.4 in.
1940 1.8 in.
1942 2.2 in.
1944 6.5 in.
1950 1.9 in.
1954 0.3 in.
1956 4.2 in.
1957 2.5 in.
1958 0.2 in.
1959 0.6 in.
1965 1.2 in.
1971 0.4 in.
1974 0.3 in.
1982 9.6 in.
1983 0.8 in.
1990 0.6 in.
1996 0.7 in.
1900 1.2 in.
2003 4.0 in.
2006 0.1 in.

George Wright, AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.

A Cold Easter in the Northeast

The combination of low pressure over Nova Scotia and high pressure north of the Great Lakes has produced strong cold air advection with morning thicknesses down to 528 across the NYC metropolitan area on this Easter Sunday. With rather strong northwest winds gusts to 30 mph or more, it feels even colder. High temperatures in the NYC metropolitan area will only be around 50 which is 10 degrees below normal. In typical fashion for mid-April, the cold spell will not last and after a cold night with freezing temperatures, daytime highs on Monday will be near normal and it will be warmer thsi week with pleasant temperatures.

The GFS model continues to indicate another late season cold blast on or about April 23-25, 2009 with forecast thicknesses in the 520s over the NYC metropolitan region and central New England. If this verifies, it could produce record low temperatures in parts of the area and a killing freeze. Agricultural interests and home gardeners should keep this cold snap in mind and monitor the progress of this cold spell that is forecast. One again this one will also be brief. I would not be surprised to hear of reports of snow flurries during this period. In Central Park, NYC, the latest accumulating snowfall occurred back in 1875 when 3.0 inches fell. The forecast GFS model graphic for 8 PM on April 24, 2009 (00Z on April 25, 2009) is produced below.










George Wright, AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.

Cold Outbreak for the Northeast is Forecast for April 22-24, 2009

A brief, but unseasonably cold outbreak is forecast by the GFS model for April 22-24, 2009. The upper air pattern is forecast to be highly amplified with a strong ridge at 500 mb across western Canada and a large trough over eastern Canada and the Northeast US. A cold pool of air or cutoff low at 500 mb is forecast over the Northeast during this time period. Snow is a possibility for interior New England and upstate New York during this time period as low pressure intensifies into eastern Canada. If this pattern verifies, there will be record low temperatures in the New York City area and across upstate New York and New England.

George Wright, AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.

April Snow in Manhattan!

Between approximately 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. on April 8, 2009 light snow was falling in Manhattan! As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the overall weather pattern was setting up to be a cold start to the spring season and that there would be a chance for some snow in the city as well as in the northern suburbs and upstate New York.

The radar (left) indicated an area of scattered rain and snow showers were still occuring in the early afternoon across the Northeast.

The NAM model (left) indicated cold air across the Northeast in the wake of yesterday's storm. The GFS model continues to show a progressive and active weather pattern typical of April for the next 14 to 16 days through April 24, 2009. The Midwest and the Northeast are forecast to receive four significant precipitation producing weather systems during this time period. The 500 mb forecast pattern indicates that the temperatures will be at or slightly below normal for the eastern USA with a much cooler than normal pattern forecast later in the period. In the NYC-Metropolitan area, there will be periods of sunny, mild weather which makes this one of the best times of the year in the city.

The temperature at the time of today's snowfall in Manhattan was 41 degrees. See the official local airport observations at 10 am on April 8, 2009 below:

CENTRAL PARK CLOUDY 41 26 55 SW10G17 29.68S
LAGUARDIA APRT PTSUNNY 41 24 51 W15G22 29.66S
KENNEDY INTL PTSUNNY 43 27 53 SW20 29.68S
NEWARK/LIBERTY PTSUNNY 42 23 46 W17G25 29.66F

George Wright, AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.

The Active Weather Pattern Continues...Blizzard in Midwest!

The weather pattern has been typically active so far this month with strong storms that have produced flooding and blizzards in the upper Midwest. The storm that produced blizzard conditions in the upper Midwest on April 4-5th will race east producing rain and gusty winds on Monday and Tuesday (April 6-7th) in the Northeast. Behind this storm there will be cold air advection across the Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday. There could be some wet snowflakes across upstate New York in the wake of this storm Tuesday night! The NAM model (see graphic below) indicates strong cold air advection all the way down to the Gulf Coast for Tuesday and Wednesday.









Another storm is producing blizzard conditions for the upper Midwest on April 4-5th. The forecast from the National Weather Service office in Nebraska issued the message below on Saturday, April4th:

A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL PRODUCE SEVERE WINTER WEATHER OVER WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.AS A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM MAKES ITS WAY ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WIND IS LIKELY OVER WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY IT. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY MORNING OVER THE SANDHILLS. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF THREE TO SEVEN INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED IN ADDITION TO SNOW THAT HAS ALREADY ACCUMULATED. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WILL RANGE FROM AROUND FIVE INCHES IN PART OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA TO MORE THAN FIFTEEN INCHES IN PARTS OF NORTHWEST NEBRASKA. IN ADDITION TO SNOW...STRONG NORTH WIND 30 TO 40 MPH GUSTING TO NEAR 50 MPH WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. THIS WILL RESULT IN DEEP SNOW DRIFTS AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA.

George Wright, Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.

Strong Saturday Winds...NYC Metro Area

The following are peak wind gusts that were measured today as a strong area of low pressure intensified over eastern Canada:

NEWARK, NJ 49 mph
CALDWELL, NJ 37 mph
LINDEN, NJ 44 mph
NYC/CENTRAL PARK 38 mph
NYC/JFK ARPT 46 mph
FARMINGDALE, NY 45 mph
WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY 45 mph
NEW HAVEN, CT 40 mph

This was certainly a windy day with gusts to over 30 mph into the evening. It was 15 degrees cooler than yesterday with strong cold air advection behind a cold front. It was partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the unstable air.

George Wright, Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Wright Weather Consulting, Inc. View our web site at WrightWeather.com.